We are back in the Bonney Lake area of Washington where we will be spending the rest of our vacation exploring my sister’s home state.
Today we went to Bremerton and went tide pooling again at Illahee State Park. It was low tide and we found tons of shells…clams, oysters, conchs; as well as some anemones and crabs.
The shells on the beach were so diverse and colorful. My favorite were the shells that had deep purple areas on the inside of them, the shell below has them in the shape of little purple hearts!
Doing a Google lens search I found that they are called the Purple Mahogany Clam (scientific name is Nuttallia obscurata). The have an organic anti-fungal compound inside their shells that produces these purple colors.
Unfortunately, they are considered an invasive species, introduced to U.S. waters via ship ballast water from Japan, Korea and China.
Unfortunately, the waters in this location are toxic and there are signs warning not to eat the shellfish from this area.
The beach and park itself are very lovely. Many families were enjoying the beautiful weather, one guy was doing some distance swimming training.
From here we drove to the small town of Poulsbo (https://visitpoulsbo.com). It was originally settled by Norwegian immigrants and is affectionately known as “Little Norway” or “Viking City”. This is a great town to visit for a day. Its main street is lined with shops, boutiques, cafés, restaurants, and ice cream parlors.
We had lunch at Casa Luna (Home – Casa Luna), a little Mexican restaurant tucked away down a little alley that they decorated with outdoor seating and festive string lights. The food was good, the staff were really personable, and the atmosphere was warmly welcoming. The manager gave us a tip on where to get ice cream.
There are a couple of ice cream shops in the area, but she suggested going to Boehm’s Chocolates (Boehm’s Chocolates of Poulsbo, featuring the legendary chocolate creations of Boehm’s Candy Kitchen). They have a vanilla ice cream bar on a stick that they dip in dark chocolate then roll in toffee and nuts! After lunch we made a beeline there and the ice cream bar lived up to her hype; I highly recommend this if you’re ever in the area!
There is also a park near the waterfront with a marina and live music. We spent some time walking along the waterfront, enjoying the scenery before heading home. Tomorrow is going to be a low-key hangout around the house day.
If your ever in the Seattle/Olympia area definitely include a visit to Poulsbo in you plans. I will definitely come visit again!
The Wallace Adventure! 